ANGLERS have had some great sport this week with fish active at the surface. Anglers using small black spiders had some hectic sport as did Roger Hocking who fished a CdC to catch 20-plus rainbows. Richard Wood Jnr and Snr had double limit bags. Best patterns have been Foam Back Beetles, CdC’s Black Spider and small Buzzers. Anglers have averaged five fish per visit.

BELLFLASK

(01677) 470716

Anglers averaged five fish per visit with Ian McLellan top rod with 15 trout to 7lb 8oz. Most of his fish took a drifted Bloodworm. Fish are cruising around in the gin clear water and anglers have had to go ‘fine’ to get them with a slow retrieve.

CHATTON TROUT FISHERY

(01668) 215226

Alai Tait and Sandy Robertson from Morpeth returned 29 trout between them on Nymphs and Buzzers. Peter Brock returned 22 trout on Cats Whiskers and Dawson’s Olive. Eric Grassner and John Tait from Belford returned 20 fish for their visit on Buzzers and Hare’s Ear. Keith Watson from Amble kept five fish and returned eight for his visit. Trevor Wadds from Craster returned nine using Diawl Bachs. Terry Carr from Wooler returned six fish and kept two; one being a 10lb brown trout. Matty Divine from Morpeth returned 14 fish using Nymphs and Crunchers. Limited spaces are available on Sunday, September 7.

COW GREEN

18 anglers caught 108 trout with Silver Invicta, Gold March Brown, Zulu and Hoppers all taking fish. Roving tactics were best with bait anglers catching well near stream mouths.

DERWENT RESERVOIR

(01207) 255250

429 anglers caught 1144 trout with D MacAnalley landing the fish of the week at 5lb. Over 28 fish bag limits were recorded some up to 25lb. Fly anglers did well above the Sailing Club with small black imitative patterns doing well. Black Pennell, Bibio and Kate McLaren proved effective patterns. A cocktail of worm and Powerbait with Greedy bait in a feeder was the top bait method.

FONTBURN RESERVOIR

(01669) 621368

279 anglers caught 502 trout with discoloured water making fishing difficult at times .Despite this Christopher Bond managed six fish for over 15lb while A Nelson had seven trout for 17lb.Best bait tactics were ledgered Green Powerbait fished at distance. Spinning has been effective especially blue tobies. Fly sport has been slow with Dawson’s Olive, Consett Budgie and Kate McLaren top flies. Spring Green Powerbait and worm were the best baits to use.

GRASSHOLME RESERVOIR

(01833) 641121

356 anglers caught 899 trout. Fish of the week was an outstanding blue trout of 9lb 8oz caught by Dean Laddie from Sacriston on ledgered Pink Eggs. This fish is a record for Grassholme. Best flies were Sedgehog, Bibio, Hare’s Ear, various CdC’s and Dawson’s Olive. Green and White Powerbait, Yellow and Pink Eggs and float fished worm were the top baits.

HIGHAM LAKES

(01661) 860032 / 07950 428159

Sinking lines were preferred to floaters this week with lures including Cats Whisker, Zonkers and Dawson’s Olive all effective. Black Fritz, Buzzers, Damsel Nymphs and Daddies were also taking fish. In general fish have been lying deeper than of late with a slow retrieve best.

HURY RESERVOIR

(01833) 641121

Anglers averaged 2.8 trout per visit with T Ellis catching the best trout at 3lb 12oz. Fish have been rising freely with roving tactics best. Dry Red Tags, CdC’s and Suspender Buzzers have worked well and Muddlers, Silver March Browns and Vivas have had fish chasing. Dark Dries, Hoppers, Black and Olive Buzzers and Sedgehogs have also been effective.

JUBILEE TROUT LAKES

(01388) 772611

Sport is continuing to pick up and anglers in the main have been catching on Cats Whisker, Yellow Dancer and White Lures. A twitched Yellow Blob fished on an intermediate line has also been effective. No doubles have been caught this week but plenty of top quality rainbows have come to the net.

KIELDER RESERVOIR

(01434) 251000

147 rods caught 356 trout with Chris Fenwick landing the trout of the week at 6lb 4oz on worm at Little Whickhope. He also had rainbows of 3lb and 3lb 2oz. Hawkhope and Tower Knowe have been the best areas for bank anglers with 15 limits recorded from Tower Knowe. Paul Thompson caught rainbows of 3lb and 3lb 4oz in the Belling from a boat. Boats must be returned to the jetty no later then 7.30pm. Worm and sweetcorn were the best baits while fly anglers did well with Orange Fritz, Claret Hoppers and Clan Chief.

KIPLIN HALL

(01677) 470716

Anglers averaged four fish per visit with Mr Nattrass from Consett top rod with 17 trout. Plenty of trout have been at the surface with Daddies and Black Gnats successful. Plenty of trout in the 2lb 8oz to 3lb range coming out with browns to 4lb.

Fish of the week was a 7lb 8oz rainbow caught by Mike Lawson. Best three fish bag was for 10lb 8oz caught by G English. Top flies were: Dawson’s Olive, Montana, Daddies and Hare’s Ear. The Lake is booked on Saturday, September 6, with evening tickets available from 5pm.

LEIGHTON RESERVOIR

(01765) 689024

Anglers averaged 2.4 trout per visit. Among the recent catches was an 11lb rainbow caught by G Smith. Nine double have come out in the last fortnight. S Cliff and W Ferguson caught 28 trout including fish of 10lb, 8lb, two at 6lb and two at 5lb. Paul Chaytor landed an 11lb 2oz rainbow following a catch of eight rainbows.

SCALING DAM

(01287) 644032

210 anglers landed 529 trout with rainbows to 4lb weighed in. Swarms of flying ants have had trout gorging themselves. Bait anglers using ledgered worm tipped with Powerbait eggs have managed to tempt trout away from the ants. Top flies have been small traditional patterns with Black and Peacock Spider best of all.

STONEBRIDGE LAKES

(01609) 748818

Anglers have had an extremely hard week with fish difficult to tempt. Blythe Palmer from South Shields did tempt one double, a fish of 14lb 8oz. Most trout caught have fallen to well presented dry flies; mainly small patterns.

SWEETHOPE LOUGHS

(01830) 540349

Mike Bailes from Whitley Bay had a double figure catch on a Fiery Brown. Tony Barclay returned 12 fish on Spiders while A McDonald caught nine trout on a Brown Dun. Phil Raisbeck returned 20 trout during a frenzy of activity with flying ants having fish gorging themselves. He caught trout to 7lb 8oz. The sessions are from 9am to 1pm, 1pm to 4pm and 4pm to dusk.

WITTON CASTLE LAKES

(01388) 488691

Fishing continues to improve with cooler conditions. Joe Myers from Leadgate returned 10 fish on Daddies and Buzzers. Bradley McKewon from Meadowfield caught seven trout on Black and Green Zonkers while G Phillipson from Pelton landed the fish of the week at 14lb 12oz on a Black Pennell.